Apple’s 2022 iPhones will come in four different models with displays in two sizes, 6.7-inch and 6.1-inch, phasing out smaller 5.4-inch iPhone mini displays, TFI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo writes in a Wednesday note to clients. Both sizes could come in high-end and low-end versions, i.e. “iPhone 14,” “iPhone 14 Max (or Plus),” iPhone 14 Pro,” and “iPhone 14 Pro Max.”
If accurate, Kuo’s prediction would suggest that Apple is backing away from its lowest-cost new device, the iPhone 12 Mini, which was released in 2020 after years of user requests for a smaller iPhone.
However, reports from Apple’s Asian supply chain and analyst estimates suggest that the iPhone 12 Mini is not selling well compared with other iPhones with larger displays and bigger batteries.
He writes the 2022 iPhones will include a new image sensor supplied by Sony that can output video at 8k resolution and take 48-megapixel photos. They’ll also use improved camera lenses.
“We believe that the camera quality of the new 2H22 iPhone will elevate mobile phone camera photography to a new level,” Kuo wrote.
MacDailyNews Take: So, it sounds like there will be a “mini” iPhone this year, corroborating rumors, but the upcoming 5.4-inch “iPhone 13 mini” might be the last chance for those looking for small iPhones with close to the latest technology.
As expected, Apple is adjusting production and future model plans based on the iPhone mix they’ve seen and are extrapolating for the coming quarters and years.
It’s been known for some time that the response to the iPhone 12 mini was tepid vs. Apple’s flagship iPhone 12 Pro Max and the other iPhone 12 models.
And, so, yes, this is as we predicted many years ago; people gravitate to larger displays (with their attendant larger batteries):
In general, the only people who still think they want a 4-inch iPhone are those who do not yet own a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 or 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. — MacDailyNews, December 5, 2014